New York Tales (4): The War on Boredom

r
renqiulan
楼主 (文学城)

Joe was a tough New Yorker, elbowing his way through the subway system and devouring a big, fat burger in a matter of seconds. But lately, the city that never slept had started to feel more like a city that was dozing off. The endless stream of commuters, the bustling streets, and everything in between had somehow blended into a monotonous hum.

 

 

While waiting for his train one early evening, Joe had the misfortune of an aggressive pigeon landing on his shoulder and promptly relieving itself all over his suit and tie. Instead of cooing and suing for peace, it squawked incessantly. What a little winged devil! But rather than shooing it away, something inside Joe snapped. He decided to embrace the absurdity.

 

 

Absurdity, as it turned out, had its own magic. Joe donned a bird costume, reasoning that if the city was a concrete jungle, he might as well be its most flamboyant parrot. He spent hours hopping from landmark to landmark, squawking at passersby, who, much to his dismay, didn't find it amusing. Some flipped him the bird in no time. Joe, in full parrot mode, squawked back, and before long, it escalated into a fistfight.

Eventually, the long arm of the law caught up with Joe. Handcuffed, he felt exhilarated, despite his black eye and swollen face. He had broken free from the monotony, even if just for a brief, bird-brained moment. As the squad car pulled away, he glanced back at the city. It looked less MUNDANE and more HUMANE. (Yes, this parrot guy liked rhyming.)

The next day, Joe couldn't stop watching the viral video of himself online. As he scrolled through the comments, he found more laughter than judgment. Perhaps he had discovered a new way to fight the city's mundanity: one absurd act at a time.

There was just one little problem. He was dating a cop.


Author: renqiulan

 

 

蓝灵
Good evening, my storyteller! You must be free as a bird
蓝灵
when you let your imagination fly.
r
renqiulan
You can say that again. Hi, Blue Soul! What's up?
蓝灵
Your protagonist,Joe the parrot guy, was truly over the top.
r
renqiulan
Indeed, Joe was well over the top.
蓝灵
He was so special, to put it mildly.
蓝灵
You’ve got to hand it to Joe—he’s the embodiment of
蓝灵
New York spirit.
r
renqiulan
Really? I'm scratching my head.
蓝灵
The city was grinding Joe down, and instead of just fading
蓝灵
into the background, he fought back.
r
renqiulan
Wait, did you say "he fought back?"
蓝灵
Surely I did. Joe fought back in the most unconventional way
蓝灵
possible. He dressed up as a parrot. That’s sheer genius!
r
renqiulan
With all due respect to your hero, that's sheer madness!
蓝灵
Joe’s actions were a form of protest against the everyday
蓝灵
grind.
r
renqiulan
I won't debate that, but, like you said, Joe was over
r
renqiulan
the top. His hard landing wouldn't be a pretty sight,
r
renqiulan
and it wasn't.
蓝灵
With his black eye and swollen face, Joe didn't exactly end
蓝灵
up as Rocky. I got that. But he did score some points.
r
renqiulan
Right, Joe wasn't Rocky. Please go on.
蓝灵
Incidentally, your story is about making people stop and
蓝灵
think, even if it’s uncomfortable.
r
renqiulan
I take it as a compliment. You're going to drop the other
r
renqiulan
shoe, aren’t you?
蓝灵
Of course. Joe turned his frustration into a statement.
r
renqiulan
I have a feeling that you are getting to your punch line.
蓝灵
You bet. But, let me say this first...
r
renqiulan
Why did I hear a pin drop?
蓝灵
Haha! I’d argue that the fallout is part of the message.
蓝灵
Joe didn’t just step out of line—he flew off the handle,
蓝灵
and it got people’s attention.
r
renqiulan
I'm afraid I'm not quite with you at this point.
蓝灵
Sometimes you need to shake things up to see
蓝灵
what really matters. And judging by the viral video,
蓝灵
a lot of people found humor in it, not merely judgment.
蓝灵
Maybe they saw a bit of their own frustration in
蓝灵
Joe’s antics.
r
renqiulan
Good intentions, maybe. Bad actions, for sure.
蓝灵
Perhaps, but the fact remains—Joe’s story resonates.
r
renqiulan
That's music to my ear. Still, Joe is not my hero.
蓝灵
Joe is your creation nonetheless.
r
renqiulan
Guilty as charged.
蓝灵
Joe, thanks to your creation, turned the mundane into
蓝灵
something unforgettable, and in a city like New York, that’s
蓝灵
no small feat.
r
renqiulan
My readers are free to project their own feelings onto Joe,
r
renqiulan
who, by the way, is an epitome of absurdity,
r
renqiulan
and absurdity rarely ends well.
蓝灵
Point taken. But, sometimes, a little absurdity is exactly
蓝灵
what the world needs to remind us we’re all human—
蓝灵
even in the concrete jungle.
r
renqiulan
Why doesn't Joe play Tarzan in the concrete jungle?
蓝灵
It sounds like you’ve stumbled upon an alternate version of
蓝灵
Joe’s story.
r
renqiulan
OK. Picture Joe in rugged, yet urban attire—think
r
renqiulan
distressed jeans and a leather jacket—channeling
r
renqiulan
the spirit of Tarzan with a modern twist.
蓝灵
I want more.
r
renqiulan
Instead of jungle vines, Joe swings from subway poles and
r
renqiulan
navigates the skyscrapers as if they were towering trees.
蓝灵
More.
r
renqiulan
Joe’s shout-outs echo through the bustling streets,
r
renqiulan
a primal call that captures the wild essence of the city’s
r
renqiulan
heartbeat, blending the primal with the metropolitan.
蓝灵
Breathtaking. Bravo!
r
renqiulan
Thank you. Just don't ask me to turn Joe into King Kong.
r
renqiulan
He’d never agree to climb the Empire State Building.
蓝灵
Hahaha...!
r
renqiulan
Let Joe be Joe.
蓝灵
Let renqiulan be renqiulan.
r
renqiulan
Let Blue Soul be Blue Soul. Goodnight!
蓝灵
Good night!
暖冬cool夏
You are a great storyteller and writer! Jack and Joe, little
暖冬cool夏
people, big world. Love your writing!
r
renqiulan
Hi, 暖冬cool夏! Thank you for your kind words.
r
renqiulan
I am learning to write, which is just another way
r
renqiulan
to say that I am learning to think.
天边一片白云
Love your short story. It is more boring now than before in
天边一片白云
Subway because of smart phone and portable pc.
r
renqiulan
Thank you, 天边一片白云! That's very kind of you to say. I'm glad
r
renqiulan
you enjoyed it. As for the subway, well, at least we're not
r
renqiulan
all staring at the same dirty shoes anymore.
天边一片白云
haha, you are so humorous.
m
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